Talks on Iraqi Coalition Government Falter

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-iraq,1,7982944.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Talks aimed at forging a coalition government faltered Wednesday over Kurdish demands for more land and concerns that the dominant Shiite alliance seeks to establish an Islamic state, delaying the planned first meeting of Iraq's new parliament.

The snag in negotiations between Shiite and Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq came as clashes and two car bombings in Baghdad killed at least 14 Iraqi soldiers and police officers -- the latest in a relentless wave of violence since elections Jan. 30.

The group led by Iraq's most wanted terrorist, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, purportedly claimed responsibility in an Internet posting for Wednesday's clashes and at least one of the bombings -- as it had for a suicide car bombing Monday that killed 125 people in Hillah, a town south of the capital.

"The bombings in Hillah and again in Baghdad this morning are not going to derail the political process that Iraq is embarked upon," National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie said Wednesday. "The Iraqi government will go after and hunt down each and every one of these terrorists whether in Iraq or elsewhere."

[bemildred]

1. How about "trial by combat"? nt

[yellowcanine]

2. Why do they hate freedom?

[ECH1969]

3. You missed the good part of the article

In another twist, alliance deputy and former Pentagon favorite Ahmad Chalabi was to meet Thursday with interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose party won 40 seats in the assembly. It was unclear why the meeting between the two rivals was taking place.

Both Allawi and Chalabi are secular Shiites opposed to making Iraq an Islamic state.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-iraq,1,7982944.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true
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If Allawi can make a coalition with the Kurds and Chalabi he will be able to create a government.

[Igel]

4. They're newbies.

Student gov/administration relations are usually the worst at the beginning, before everybody figures out how to talk to each other, what's negotiable, what's just for bargaining ...

Then again, sometimes stu-gov/admin relations just never improve.